11 months ago
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Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images
Liverpool lost their dead rubber game in Belgium
Liverpool had already won their Europa League group when they traveled to Brussels for the final match against Union SG. So the loss on Thursday night ultimately didn’t matter. It did, however, provide some of the younger players with an opportunity to play in a European match, which was a great opportunity for players like Ben Doak and Conor Bradley.
Jürgen Klopp fielded a youthful team with some experienced players like Ibrahima Konaté and Wataru Endo thrown in the mix. It was a good night for Jarell Quansah, who scored his first senior Liverpool goal off of a corner. It momentarily put the Reds level in the first half, though that didn’t last long. Eventually, they lost 2-1, with all three goals come in the span of one frantic 10 minute period at the end of the first half.
“It was important,” Klopp said of Quansah’s first goal. After being involved in a penalty against Crystal Palace, the manager was glad that the defender got to walk away with a good personal experience. “And I am really happy that he could see the other side of the metal and score this goal today.”
On the match itself, Klopp called it “a deserved win” for Union, and seemed to appreciate it for the learning experience it gave the younger players. “For some it was a really important experience and for others good for rhythm,” he said.
“I saw good performances and, of course, as a team it is not a fair assessment if I say now they are top of the table in Belgium and we come here, bring kids – altogether that’s really difficult. But I thought we gave it a go and that’s OK for me. Nobody got hurt, nobody is injured, so we recover, go home and go again.”
After this, it’s back to Merseyside to train for the upcoming match against Manchester United on Sunday.
